Richard Réti. Credit: wikipedia.
Edward Winter just noted, in
CN #12212, that Réti’s obituary in the
Evening Standard (all exact details in the link to
Chess Notes) included describing him as "a very ugly man, but with very luminous eyes." Winter rightly describes decrying a player's looks as "bad form."
I add that Winter's own article about
Olga Capablanca Clark has her noting her husband's relationship with a Jewish friend in the following words: "Mr
Fliegelman, we called him Fligu, was perhaps Capa’s most intimate friend, and probably Capa’s favorite one, for he was indeed completely devoted to Capa. Fligu was a typical Russian Jew, rather ungoodlooking but possessing tremendous charm, and it was impossible not to like him."
I suggest that in the case of both Réti and of Fliegelman, the authors were influenced, perhaps unconsciously, by the old stereotype about Jews being ugly and cunning, a stereotype that goes back to the Middle Ages. In both these cases, the stereotype appears in a mild form: the intelligence or charm of the Jewish person is seen, not as a sign of dishonestly, but rather as a compensation for their outward looks!
This goes to show how deeply stereotypes can be embedded in society. Even when the intention is simply to describe or even compliment the Jewish person, and, if anything, to caution against judging a person by their outward looks, the stereotype of the "smart but ugly" Jews is to be found.
